Plunge
by Gaby de Chagny
Summary: A reincarnation story involving Erik,Christine,and Raoul. Placed apart by Fate,will they all find happiness? Or is history doomed to repeat itself? Rating PG-13 to be safe.
1. Fate is a real evil chick

A/n: Some of this is really relative to Poto,some of it isn't. It's almost original fiction...but it's another of those Erik/Christine/Raoul reincarnation stories. Yes,groan if you will,but I thought we needed another :D Kay? Kay. I don't own anything except for the stuff you haven't seen before.. *pops fingers* Time for some fun.  
  
"Oh Christine.." Fate,the woman who got more curses in a day than any other incarnate,sighed as she watched the scene unfold before her. "Why did you run off with that gorgeous little fop? You were destined to be with Erik..didn't the term 'Angel' mean anything to you?" Slowly,frustration took over as she moved toward the tapestry the trio was involved in. Erik's thread was slowly running out. The single gold thread was frayed and tarnished,nearly pulled apart in places where,when The Phantom of the Opera was younger,he had almost commited suicide. Her glance turned toward Christine Daae's. It still had some length to it,at least another 30 or 40 years by her calculation. A flick of her eyes to Raoul's confirmed Christine would die long before her "true love".  
  
"Well...we can fix that,can't we?" Fate muttered to herself as she began to snip Raoul's string,as well as Christine's. They would be dead within a year,just as Erik would be. Christine's voice might be a loss to the world,but the young woman's next incarnate would have the same raw talent......for Erik to mould once more. Fate rubbed her temples as she placed her scissors back into the holster at her side,"She has no idea what she's done to my plans,does she? She thinks Raoul is the man for her,they're soul mates. Very well,they ARE...but oh Gods." She collasped back into an awaiting armchair with a soft growl,"Erik De'naire was to be hers..not Raoul de Chagny...Ah well!" She snarled,glaring at the young woman moving across the hidden lake under the Paris opera. "An easy mistake to make I suppose! They look so much like one another! Their tastes are simply identical,aren't they you stupid little wench!" Christine Daae would pay...as would Raoul...they needed to be seperated.  
  
Fate would make sure they would be,next time.  
  
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Christine choked as Raoul tried to wipe the blood from her mouth. It had only been 9 months since Christine's "Angel of Music" had vanished from their lives,and Christine had tuberculosis. The doctors kept trying to reassure him,but he couldn't allow himself the illusion his wife was going to be fine any longer. At the very least,she would never sing again,and to her that would be as bad as death. After her coughing fit finally died away,a smile graced her pale,cracked lips. Raoul leaned forward to kiss her temple and stroke her cheek,careful to hide the blood soaked rag,"There my love,all better. It didn't last as long this time,did it?" Christine smiled and shook her head,managing to speak in a very weak whisper,"It didn't hurt as bad as it has been either..do you think I'm getting well at last?" Raoul sighed and smiled,nodding,"I'm sure of it Christine. You can even speak again,that must be a good sign,right?" Christine nodded as her heavy lids slid over those innocent crystal blue eyes.  
  
She never awoke.  
  
Christine Daae was laid to rest two days after her death in a very small,private ceremony. Raoul,Madame Giry,Meg Giry,and a man who had only been known as the "Persian" to Raoul attended. If not for him,Raoul would have fried in the Phantom's torture chamber...Christine would have died sooner...  
  
Raoul shuddered as he stood by himself,staring at the ground which now held his wife. His beloved. His...life.. How was he supposed to live without Christine? They had planned to have children...to grow old together...now,nothing would ever happen. Gabrielle Rose and Charles Mason were only dreams,fantasies of his mind. He could never love another woman as he had the angel covered with 6 feet of mud. Raoul shuddered once more then began to sob. He hadn't cried throughout the funeral,but he couldn't hold back any longer.   
  
"How could I...?" Raoul mumbled,not realizing Nadir was right behind him. "How could you what,sir?" The older man asked gently,placing a hand on his shoulder. Raoul turned his slightly red eyes to look up at him,sighing," The last thing I said to her...it was a lie...not 'I love you' or 'We'll never part'. No...I had to lie! I told her she was going to get well...Oh why the hell am I telling you this?" Nadir tried not to smile," Perhaps you consider me...someone worthy to consoul you..perhaps even someone to confide in?" Raoul sneezed as he sat down. The day was gray and a light mist of rain had been coming down since Christine's coffin had been lowered. Of course,this light mist had instantly turned into a minor thunderstorm once the first handful of damp earth had been thrown. It was as if the true Angel of Music himself were upset over this...  
  
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"You BASTARD!" Erik screamed as he watched Raoul cry,his outrage beyond his sorrow. "You let her DIE?! You promised me you'd take care of her!! You STUPID! You FOOLISH..." "You fop?" Fate volunteered happily. Erik blinked faintly over at her,frowned,then walked to sit down as he burried his still-masked face in his hands,"God...my poor Christine...my angel...She's gone.....Why did I believe HIM? He couldn't protect a dead fish,much less my dear little Christine...Oh you were so young...so full of life..." Fate really did like Erik more out of the trio..but she was this close to beating him senseless with her scissors,"Erik,how many times must I tell you? You three are of my Chosen. You'll all see one another again,though we'll have to wait another month or two for Raoul to come. Christine should show up any time now." Erik glared at her from behind his mask,"Christine.is.dead. Dead.is.dead. She's not going anywhere. There.is.no.God."  
  
Fate blinked once or twice then positively giggled," If there's no God,bonehead,there's no afterlife,right?" Erik nodded,she continued,"Then where the bloody HELL are you?!" He opened his mouth to speak,frowned again,then sighed deeply," I have no idea,Madame,but...I...I don't know." "Correct," She nodded and smiled. " You do not know. You have no reason to know,and rest assured,you won't know. Now excuse me...I think I hear a knock at my door." Erik stared at the ground sadly,moving a hand up to remove his mask so he could wipe the tears from his eyes. Christine was gone,he'd never hear her voice again,not that he thought he would anyway. 'That song...'He thought,remembering the time he'd seen Christine in the graveyard,visiting her father. "Wishing you were somehow here again...wishing you were somehow near..." He sung softly,almost under his breath. "Oh..Christine...." Erik burried his face in his arms as he sobbed,letting himself cry while he was still alone.  
  
Christine blinked as she saw the dark figure huddled on one of the armchairs in the comfortable looking living room. Fate had nearly had to drag the young woman into the room,and Miss Daae was stronger than she looked! "You're here to talk to him,Christine." Fate whispered,not in a cold manner,but less warm than she was with Erik. "Go on,he'll love to see you." Christine slowly walked over to the man who hadn't noticed them yet,his back heaved with each sob...he was so thin....  
  
'Impossible,get yourself together Christine.' She thought to herself as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Erik was dead,and this wasn't Heaven...yet...this wasn't Hell either...was it? Was she dead? Was this some...very strange,twisted dream? She was waiting to wake up and see Raoul beside her,his arms still wrapped around her body anytime now. Something kept telling her it wasn't going to happen,but she tried to ignore that pesky part of her brain. It was also the part that had told her to love Erik,it had to be wrong...didn't it?  
  
Erik lifted his head,both of them gasped. "No...this isn't possible..." Christine began to back away. Erik flinched,he'd forgotten the mask. As he moved to put it back on,he found it had vanished. 'Damn!' He cursed mentally. Fate grinned in her usual twisted way,if she had a mirror she'd have gladly handed it to him...but something told her it wouldn't have survived very long.   
  
Suddenly,it dawned on the Phantom,the young woman in front of him...was Christine. Why was she here? Wait...hadn't Fate said she'd turn up? Erik glared over at Fate harshly,who only grinned more. She was really getting on his last nerve. Christine stared at the man in front of her as she continued back. His dark hair dropped over his forehead,and his beautiful amber eyes were perfectly shaped. He had a curved nose,and soft,full lips. He looked so much the part of an angel...this man in front of her was amazing,and yet..Raoul. 'Til death do us part...' She thought to herself. 'But I still love him..I always will..' Convincing herself had always come easily to Christine. She could make her mind believe whatever she wished it to if she tried hard enough. "Hello.."Christine said softly,gathering her courage as she moved toward the man. "My name is Christine...what's yours?"  
  
Her angel stared back at her in disbelief then glanced at Fate darkly,"WHAT have you done to her mind you warped wench?" The demand in his voice made her giggle. Christine jumped,she knew that voice! "Oh...my.. ERIK?!" Christine nearly squealed in delight,her curls bounced softly as she jumped with her exclamation. Erik blinked at her then stood up and moved backwards slowly,"Yes...Madame de Chagny..." 'Ow.' Christine thought. "Madame de Chagny?" She tried to tease as she walked toward him,smiling. "Haven't you ever been to a wedding Erik?" "No." He said coldly,then added, "I had planned on attending one,but the bride vanished one day,leaving the groom heartbroken...and alone to die." 'Ok. Double ow.' Christine thought once more. She really had hurt him deeper than she thought...how could she have?  
  
"Erik...I didn't mean to...honestly..I just.."Christine trailed off with a long sigh. She couldn't make this sound right if she tried. "Just what,Christine..?"His voice was softer,gentler. Almost as if his heart was warming once more. "I...I don't know..." Christine whimped softly as she stared at him,running a nervous hand through her hair. The Phantom watched her silently,wanting terribly to move toward her,to comfort her...just to touch her and make sure she was real..but he wouldn't let himself do it. 'She's a viper. A demon. Keep reminding yourself what she DID to you,Erik!' He said to himself silently,then nodded. 'Then why do I still love her..?' He asked himself,the answer of 'Because you're an IDIOT!' came almost immediatley.  
  
Christine wondered what he was smirking about,but she continued closer to him,"I'm sorry....I'm so sorry for everything..." That brought a frown,Erik glared at her,"Sorry? Christine,I thought you could create something more imaginitive than that. It's so..ordinary." The young woman sighed,her hand througholy tangled in her long brown hair by now,"I..I just..I'm flustered...I don't know what to say!" Fate snickered,resisting the temptation to throw them both together in a tight embrace,who knows,it might even end in a kiss if she did so. 'Pretty damn good idea if I do say so myself!' Fate thought,and did just that.  
  
Both blinked,then stared at each other. Christine's arms were around her angel's neck,Erik's were around his former student's back. It was almost automatic. Their heads slowly tilted toward the other's,then their lips met,their arms tightened around one another. Christine felt her heart leap to her throat as Erik felt that calm peace that she always brought to him. The light in his life had suddenly reappeared...only he was dead. They both were. Nothing mattered now,he pulled her closer until their bodies were all but crushed against one another's. 'Good Gods..' Fate looked toward the watch on her wrist. 'How long can they go on..? I swear I must be witnessing the most passionate kiss in...' She paused. Technically,she made history. Shouldn't she remember? Fate shrugged it off and watched the two silently until they parted,which took a good 10 minutes.  
  
Soft,honey colored eyes lost themselves in the depths of equally soft gray blue ones. "Christine..." Erik whispered,but she shook her head with a smile. "No Erik..Don't speak...just hold me." Her whisper was sweet,but not seductive. Still as innocent as she had been when she'd first heard of the "Angel of Music" from her father,those warm arms held her close. Christine's head rested on Erik's chest,as his rested on her shoulder. Fate smiled,this was the way things should have been from the start. Christine would have to be punished in her next life,she would have to work to see Erik face to face..if ever. If she felt generous,she might place them so they could meet,someday.  
  
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The priest whispered beside Raoul's bedside as the young man choked,much as his wife had,only a month and a half earlier. Nadir shook his head in silence. If Raoul had fought the sickness,he'd have lived..but without Christine to fight for,what did the young man have? "Christine..." Raoul's rasp came from the bed. His beloved wife was only inches above him..if he could touch her cheek...if he could only reach the hand that was extended for him,he could tell her he loved her. After a moment he felt his hand wrap around the soft skin he'd known so well such a short time ago. "Christine..I love you..."came a weak whisper from the man between the sheets. Nadir lowered his head silently as the breath left Raoul.  
  
"Amen." The priest closed the bible silently and walked from the room as Raoul's doctor pulled the sheet over the young man's face.  
  
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"Here you go,Christine." Death said calmly with a smile as she slid from his horse's back. She had requested specially that she be allowed to help Death take Raoul away and he had happily agreed. Of course,Fate had threatened to make Mortis into a minature poodle before he agreed,as well. "Thank you sir." She said sweetly,smiling at him as she took the tiny bottle of light. That little thing was her Raoul. It was strange seeing him like this! Extremely strange..  
  
"What on eart-" Fate paused,blinked,then shook her head. "Nevermind. What took you so long?" Christine had taken nearly 3 whole days to return with Raoul. Erik had been worried sick,he'd taken to shaking at small noises. "She's finally back,Monsieur De'naire!" Fate called to Erik,who jumped at his last name. He rushed into the room,and the light in the bottle seemed to brighten. Erik frowned darkly and growled,almost as if he sensed who it was. Fate sighed...this was going to be a very..very long 100 years...  
  
A/n: Loved it? Hated it? Review if you have the time. Lots more to come. 


	2. Reborn

A/n: ^_^ Is this soon enough for everyone? I do not speak French so please don't hurt me,it was taken from an online translator. I still own very little...though I do own Erik's last name...so I sort of own part of Erik,don't I? Aren't you all jealous now? ^_^ Btw,I'm giving Nadir a last name too. He deserves it. Oh,and Deirdre,Nadir will be coming back with the rest of the group. *grins* Now on with the story.  
  
The 1980's had just hit,and Fate was seconds from ripping Erik,Christine,and Raoul apart. As usual,Christine stood between the two men as they fought. Fate didn't really care what they were bickering about this time,she only wished they'd shut up! "DO YOU THREE MIND?!" She roared,silencing the trio immediatley. "Thank you," Fate mumbled under her breath. They were expecting the last of their group, Nadir Kahlil. He had died some time ago,but Fate had not requested his prescence until recently. Erik,fortunatly,had no idea she was sending the former Daroga after him to watch the Phantom.  
  
'Well with that temper of his..' Fate had thought to herself,then countered her own pattern with, 'Then again,Nadir isn't a pussy cat either....' A single curse in Persian was heard from outside her home as something thudded into the door. Erik froze and stared toward the doors,there was no way it could be,was there? Raoul took that time to decide trying to knock out Erik would be fun! Christine squeaked as Raoul dangled off his shoulders,a thin cord around his neck,only moments later. "Erik!" Fate snarled sharply as Raoul's head popped back to where it should be. Erik shrugged calmly and pulled his lasso back into his hand,rolled it up,then placed it in his coat pocket. "Erik.....be nice..." Christine cooed as she moved closer to him,her warm breath tickling his ear.  
  
Fate rolled her eyes at the lovesick duo...and the unconcious Raoul still on the floor,as she opened the door,looking down at a slightly ruffled Nadir. "Hello there," She smiled calmly. He frowned up at her then gave her the strangest look,"Where am I?" A giggle,a humph,and a few well thought out words in French told him as Fate's smile widened slowly. "Oh Allah.." He whimpered softly. "What did I do to deserve this?" Fate chuckled and gently hauled him up to his feet,"Nothing my dear,dear friend. To make a long story short,I have Erik,Christine,and Raoul here,I needed you to complete the set." Nadir blinked at her,"We aren't collectibles,my lady." She shook her head,trying to hide her excitement,"No,you aren't. Though..." Fate shook her head,Nadir looked worried.  
  
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February-March,1982  
  
"NO!!!"Erik screamed as he clung to the floor,his nails digging in. "I won't leave Christine again!" Fate growled under her breath and grabbed Erik by the hair,"You'll barely remember Christine Daae,Erik. You have to go back! Besides,she'll follow you soon! All of them will..." Christine sobbed into Raoul's chest as Nadir watched his friend sorrowfully. "Damn you Fate! I said NOOOOoooooooo" Erik's voice faded away as Fate tossed him back to Earth and pulled the ball of thread from another pouch on her waist. "Now...to weave him back in...." Fate searched for a short while before she found just the right place for him. A place in Fresenius,Texas,U.S.A....  
  
"Congratulations,"came the voice of Mrs. Krista Edwards' doctor,Dr. Dinare."It's a boy." Krista's husband,Justin,leaned over as both of them gazed at their new fair haired son who squirmed softly in his mother's arms. "Anthony Christopher Edwards." Krista whispered softly,drawing a smile from Justin. "What a wonderful name for our first.."His soft voice whispered back. 'Christine...no...'Anthony thought as he tried to focus his eyes. 'I have to go...' His memory was slowly fading,he could still see Christine,but he no longer knew who she was...no longer remembered the Daroga,or Raoul..nothing..  
  
Fate sighed as she glanced back at the still upset Christine. The young woman would be last out of the group to go..furthest from them all...she absently wondered how she would take it...  
  
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November-December,1984  
  
"But I never even got to see Rookheeya or Reza!" Nadir cried as Fate tried to shove him away. "You'll see them eventually!" She tried to sound encouraging...Zane owed her enough favors,she could get Reza and Rookheeya's souls for Nadir's incarnate's eventual wife and child. Christine wasn't effected this time whatsoever..she hadn't moved from the corner she sat in now since the day after Erik had left. She continued to whisper over and over again, "Venir derrière.....mon ange de musique....venir derrière..." Raoul was too concerned over his astranged lover to even grasp that Nadir was leaving them. With a final push,Nadir slid away back to Earth. Fate shook her head to herself...these people were more trouble than they were worth sometimes!  
  
Just as Fate had arranged,Mitchell Jennings to be born at the exact hospital Anthony Edwards had been born at,less than 2 years earlier. They would meet later in life,as she entwined their threads silently,listening to Christine's non-stop mumbling,and become the best of friends,one looking after the other. Fate glanced down at the two,pre-cut threads at her waist then back to Christine and Raoul. The young diva would be alone very soon..or rather,she'd be alone with Fate. The two of them could get to know one another -quite- well..  
  
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February-March,1985   
  
"Look Christine,you have to let go of him." Fate glared at her as Raoul de Chagny and Christine Daae clung to each other for dear life..er...afterlife. "No!" Christine shook her head as tears fell from her cheeks. "I won't be alone! I won't let you seperate Raoul and I!" 'Won't let ME?!' Fate's eyes widened at the very thought. After all,there was no rule that said that little twit bitch HAD to go with them! "Raoul,let go of her. You're going to be born again,very soon. Do you really want the poor child to die because of you?" Fate tried to play on his sympathies. He was a bit more muscle than mind,but his heart was truly in the right place.  
  
Raoul stepped toward Fate as Christine lunged for him,"I'm ready." His whisper stopped her dead in her tracks. "Raoul..."came a weak voice from behind the two of them. He turned and smiled at her,his warm eyes meeting her own as he kissed her briefly,"We'll be together again my beloved. I'm sure of it." Christine turned her head silently as she tried to keep from sobbing,at least until he had gone. Raoul smiled softly,placed a hand on her back for a moment then drifted,gently,back to Earth.  
  
Fate shook her head slowly,shocked. Christine slumped to the floor and sniffed softly before breaking down at last. As the incarnate worked Raoul's thread back into the correct tapestry,she smiled. There would be nearly 3,000 miles between Christine and Raoul's incarnates,Anthony was far closer to the place she planned on putting Christine. She'd choose him when the time came. All would be right again.  
  
The boy stared between his new parents from under nearly black hair,blinking slowly every now and then. "Isn't Raymond a cute little boy?"His mother,Catherine Alexander,asked her husband,James. Raoul's mind swam with thoughts of Christine,Erik..Fate..everything that had happened. Then it seemed to vanish..Raymond screamed. As did Christine.  
  
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November-December,1986  
  
"Alright Christine...it's time to go dear." Fate whispered softly,rousing the girl from her nap. She blinked up at Fate then sighed and curled up,shaking her head,"I don't wanna....I wanna rip Erik's and Raoul's threads out and bring them back here...." Fate frowned and picked her up,"To do that would be to destroy their souls,Christine. Do you really want to do that?" Slowly the brunette sat up and sighed,lowering her head,"No ma'm....but I miss them..and it'll be so long.." 'You don't have a clue,child.' Fate thought to herself as she helped the woman up.  
  
"Are you ready..?" She asked as Christine stood on the brink between Fate's realm and the single plummeting step to Earth. Christine looked away from the edge and jumped. Fate smiled to herself and walked over to thread Christine into the tapestry as well. This would be quite interesting to watch...  
  
In Knoxville,Tn,a tiny baby girl curled silently against her father's chest. "Welcome to the world Bethany Micheals.." He whispered as he kissed her forehead. Blue eyes flickered open to meet his own,she looked as if she were a female copy of the man. 'Bethany..?' The girl thought. 'But....' Her mind seemed to freeze...but not everything melted as it had with the boys. 'Raymond...' She thought as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
A/n: Anthony Edwards,Mitchell Jennings,Raymond Alexander,and Bethany Micheals. ^_^ Just wait until the next chapter..that's where the fun starts. 


	3. What raging fire shall flood the soul?

A/n: Don't own anything except my personal stuff. Erik now begins his life as Anthony Edwards.  
  
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February,1987  
  
Yawning,the blonde haired 4 year old slowly pulled on a shirt and managed to get it stuffed into his pants. Black,as always. His green blue eyes surveyed the room for his backpack...but he had no idea where he'd put it. Yesterday had been his first day of kindergarten..and it hadn't been very much fun,honestly. The teacher didn't seem to care for him,nor did at least half of the students in his class. To be honest,he didn't really want to go back...but his mother had said he had to. 'Oh well,' He thought quietly as he velcroed his shoes shut. 'Teacher said I probably won't have to worry about school long..' "Anthony,love?" His mother called from downstairs. "Breakfast is ready!"  
  
"Yay!"came the soft exclamation as Anthony raced downstairs. His father was already at the table,his mother was stationed at the stove. His mind flickered for a moment..a boat,that young woman with the brown hair...a lake and darkness...something....important...there were other voices..what was going on? He blinked and the image was gone. Anthony was used to this by now.....it had started happening even in day care. The young man sat down at the table as a plate was placed in front of him,smiled,thanked his mother,and began to nibble at the food. Even at 4 he felt empty sometimes..he wasn't the typical bouncy child. Usually,he would sit for hours at a time thinking things over. He was also the most intelligent child in his class.   
  
He already knew how to add and subtract,he could do minor multiplication and division,he could read with ease,and he loved to build things. He also loved to listen to music,though not the typical songs children listened to. His heart melted at the sounds of Beethoven and Bach,and he often tried to sing along with the instruments,only to be asked later,by his parents,if he was intentionally trying to make their ears bleed. He ignored them,music was the only thing that could soothe the emptiness that seemed to consume him from within whenever he began to think just a little too hard. When he was finished with his breakfast,he spotted his backpack under the table,grabbed it,and headed off to catch the school bus.  
  
When at last he was outside,he sat down on the curb to wait on the bus. Yesterday it had taken 15 minutes or so,he assumed it'd probably be there around the same time today,so he had some time to think. Humming under his breath silently he came to the sudden realization it was -that- song again. He could only faintly remember the words of 'and in this labyrinth where night is blind....'. 'Very nice lyrics,yes.' He always thought to himself,'Wonder what they're from?' For some reason he never understood,the words only drove that emptiness in his heart deeper. Anthony didn't have any longer to think on the subject. The bus pulled up,nearly running over his feet,and the door opened. The boy gave a slight sigh and pulled himself up then entered the vehicle,looking for a seat. As it was yesterday....nearly every single one had only one person.  
  
'Great....'He thought as he walked past aisle after aisle,not even having to ask if he could sit beside most of them. They made it apparent he couldn't when their lunch boxes or their backpacks took the second seat. Toward the back,there was a small,brown headed boy with dark green eyes,sitting alone,shaking. 'He can't be more than 2 or 3...'Anthony shook his head as he blinked at the boy. "Hey..?"He asked softly,not really expecting an answer. The youngster jumped and looked back at him,whispering very softly,"Huh?" BEEP BEEP BEEP!  
  
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October,2000  
  
"Fuck."an 18 year old Anthony Edwards cursed as he knocked his head on his nightstand. He -really- didn't want to get up,but he was about three seconds away from throwing his overly loud alarm clock through a wall. It'd been such a nice dream too,the one where he and Mitchell had met. Slowly he managed to pull himself up then groaned. Something told him today was going to be a very.....very strange day. Unfortunatly,his senses on this sort of thing were almost always correct,and he really didn't feel up to this sort of thing today. "I swear to God...if Jennifer comes after me again Mitchell's gonna have to hold me back...."Anthony muttered as he stripped out of his night clothes and went to take a shower. 'Y'know,that girl gets on my nerves...' His mind muttered as he turned on the water and sighed. Like most young men his age,he'd have liked nothing better to have a girlfriend around him,but noone ever seemed to be the right one for him.   
  
He began to hum softly,then sang under his breath,completely in tune,"Fear can turn to love...you'll learn to see to find..um.." The words after that just wouldn't come to him,he frowned and climbed into his shower,shrugging it off. Things like that had happened as long as he could remember. Anthony jumped as a knock came on his door,a very loud knock. "What??"He asked in a slightly shaken voice. Hardly anyone came into his room this early,and he had an inclining it wasn't anyone in his family. "I've been waiting downstairs for -3 hours- Anthony! What took you so long to get up?"Mitchell's voice drifted into the bathroom. Anthony groaned softly and began to bang his head on the shower wall,didn't Mitchell -ever- sleep? It was only 7 am,he'd been there since 4?! "Give me a few..I think I've got something sticky on my arm...."Anthony mumbled tiredly. Mitchell instantly roared with laughter outside the door. "Oh shut up..."He growled,making Mitchell laugh until he collasped against his best friend's bed.  
  
"I swear.."Anthony muttered under his breath as he scrubbed himself,"If he gets anymore perverse I'm dunking his head under here with me..." He paused on that thought and gave an involuntary shudder. 10 minutes later,Mitchell had finally recovered enough to walk over to the door and beat on it again. This time it opened and he got a wet,soapy,wash rag to the face. "Ew..gross..."Mitchell shuddered as he peeled the thing off his face and placed it on the floor. The door had been open just long enough for Anthony to lob that thing at him,then it'd closed again. "Jerk.."He muttered and flopped down on the floor,looking for the controller to Anthony's Playstation. If nothing at all,he could always play a game while he waited. Just as the opening screen to Final Fantasy VII came up..the shower turned off.  
  
Anthony slowly slipped out of the tub,wrapping a towel around his waist...then realizing,he had no clothes to change into. 'Perfect. Just. Perfect.'He thought as he eyed Mitchell...who's mind was completely in the game at the moment. Of course...appearances can be deceiving...Anthony had very little doubt that Mitchell wouldn't leap at the chance to rip the towel off his waist and shove him in the hall. After all,he had done it before and his mother had gone ballistic. "Ahem..er..Mitchell?"He smiled sweetly as the 16 year old put FF7 on pause and looked over at him. "What?" "You wouldn't be willing to...throw me some clothes...would you?"He tried to maintain the expression,but it somehow slipped into a frown. Mitchell blinked,twitched once,then turned the game back on,"Get'em yourself...but please tell me you aren't naked..." Anthony blushed,"No..." He started to cross the room,when Mitchell smirked,"Hope you aren't too -excited- about school then...." Anthony paused,cringed then glared over at his friend,"Very funny." Growling,he stomped over toward the closet...  
  
And he felt the towel...slip.  
  
Mitchell looked completely innocent...except for the white fabric he was sitting on. "GRRRR!"Anthony snarled and stomped over to his closet,throwing his clothing on as fast as he could as Mitchell gave a faint snicker. There was a soft yelp as his pants' zipper got stuck on a very sensitive bit of skin,and Mitchell bit his lip to keep from laughing. Anthony glared over at him,"Yeah...it's all so funny...ha ha. Shut up,will you?" "Bitchy.."Mitchell muttered as he continued to play,Anthony just sighed and shook his head. Damn pants anyway..this certain pair seemed to have it in for...other areas of his body. Once he was dressed,he searched for his backpack a moment before looking over at Mitchell,who had just entered Tifa's house in Nibelheim. "Bet you I can play Aeris' theme." Anthony blinked over at him,"Do it then." Mitchell grinned and began to tap out the code,Anthony frowned. "La la la la la la la laaaaaa.."Mitchell sang,completely out of tune. Anthony gave an involuntary shudder. He was involved in an upcoming chorus competition,Anthony was also one of the best singers in his class.  
  
"Really Mitchell,sing it right."Anthony took a breath then sang out,"La la la la la la la laaaaaa." Mitchell shook slightly,Anthony's voice was perfect. He wasn't quite sure why he shook,but something about that golden voice always seemed to almost bring back memories. It took his mind away,it manipulated him..Honestly,it scared him sometimes.   
  
The Playstation went off after a while,leaving his television on channel 3. Anthony began to run a comb through his hair as he sang softly,"Angel of music,guide and guardian,grant to me your glory..." The television copied him and both young men jumped. It was an advertisement for Andrew Lloyd Weber's Phantom of the Opera,and Anthony could have sworn he heard a snicker. The second a young woman in white came onto the stage he felt his body convulse. She looked so familiar...yet...not. Something was wrong....she was a good actress...but something was wrong about her look. As Overture came up,toward the end of the commercial,Anthony fainted.  
  
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A young woman stood just out of his reach,younger than he was,but she looked so much like her...like the young woman who'd always haunted his dreams. It wasn't the first time he'd seen her either. She looked lost..upset...frightened...-something- was wrong,but he couldn't understand what. Suddenly she turned and ran toward him,but collasped just short of his arms. "Christine...?"He asked softly,one part of his mind wondering where that name had come from,the other being too cryptic to answer. She raised her head and blinked at him. He tried to move toward her but ran into an invisible wall as a voice in his head whispered,"Soon...but not now...soon Anthony..." "Anthony..?"  
  
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"Huh...?"He murmured groggily. "Hey man..are you okay?"Mitchell was leaning over him with a brow raised. "Yeah...I'm...okay."Anthony half whispered. He was still in awe about what had happened. "Well get up. We've gotta get to school in 10 minutes."Anthony jumped at Mitchell's words. It took at least 15 minutes to get to school on a normal day,and it'd been raining all morning. "You're joking...shit.."He lept up,the girl driven from his mind,as he raced to grab his things and Mitchell went outside to Anthony's car. "Damn damn DAMN!"He cursed as he grabbed a piece of bread from the kitchen,shoved it in his mouth,and ran outside,following Mitchell. As soon as he got into the car,his friend poked him and grinned,"I lied. We've got 35 minutes." Anthony twitched.  
  
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School went amazingly well through 3rd period. Jennifer seemed to be absent from all of her classes,Anthony's teachers weren't giving him trouble,and Mitchell's class had joined his that day. They were two years apart in school since Mitchell had been held back 2 years in kindergarten because of his age,though he could have been forwarded to Anthony's grade. He was certainly smart enough to be,the school system just hadn't done it. At lunch time,Anthony headed into the library to see if he could find this 'Phantom of the Opera' book. Surely there -had- to be one...almost every musical ever on Broadway had a book counterpart. There sat Jennifer in a cubicle,reading about something. She spotted him almost at the exact second he spotted her and let out a squeal,"ANTHONY!!" 'Oh..God...'He thought and took off toward the fiction section. She trapped him between a wall and the Narnia series shelf. "Honey,where have you been all day? I told you I was going to see you today...haven't you checked your locker?" Jennifer smiled as she moved closer. Anthony shook and moved further back into his corner,"No...and don't call me 'honey'. I'm not your 'honey' anything!"  
  
Jennifer seemed to ignore what he said after 'no',"Aw...but I've been giving you all these sweet little notes! I told Mitchell to tell you...stupid little 10th grader..I figured he didn't have the brains to tell you.." Anthony glared at her as his fists clenched,noone insulted his friends without getting smacked..unless they were a girl. 'Damn her for being female..'He thought to himself as she continued. "Don't see -why- you hang around -him-. I'm SO much prettier...I thought you were more into me than him..." Anthony ground his teeth together,this time she was pushing it. His temper was usually thin enough,and she was seconds from setting him off. "Oh come on Anthony..."She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You know you love me...just admit it to yourself.." Jennifer soon found herself against a wall with Anthony on top of her,glaring,his hands on her shoulders. "Leave.me.alone."He tried to sound calm,but his voice shook.  
  
"Why?!" She cried,staring at him. Jennifer tried to squirm from beneath him but he was too strong for her. "Because.I.said.so."He whispered,his voice getting to that soft,dangerous whisper that was infamous school wide. She froze then nodded rapidly. The last person who had gotten him this mad had been out of school for a full week trying to heal up. He released her and walked off toward the 'L' section. "Leroux...Gaston Leroux..."He muttered,glancing along the shelf. At last he found it,though the copy was a little beaten up,none of the pages were missing. He began to flip through it as he made his way back to the checkout desk,frowning when the book dropped. "Page 16..? 'Count de Chagny..Christine Daae...?'" As the names left his lips he felt his heart swell,with rage and passion all at once,his ears filled with organ music for only a second before he collasped against the ground,shaking.  
  
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When he awoke,it was nearly 4:00 pm,and he was in the nurse's office. Mitchell had his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against a wall,near the cot Anthony lay on," When the hell is he gonna get up..? We were supposed to be back an hour ago.." Anthony took a moment to remember that Mitchell was going to introduce him to something called role-play,online,today. Mitchell was very into the game,though from what Anthony had heard,he didn't think it would appeal to him. Of course,since it was Mitchell,he had talked the older young man into agreeing,and Anthony never backed out once he gave his word.  
  
Around 4:30pm they finally made it back to Anthony's house. Mitchell instantly ran over to get on the computer and Anthony sat down to play a game. About three hours later,they switched and Anthony entered his first room on Yahoo!. "Here goes nothing..." He muttered as he typed up an intro. 


	4. My God who is this man?

Bethany sat silently,staring at her computer with a death glare. Why wouldn't the blasted thing work? Why did it always have to do this to Yahell when she -really- felt she needed to be online? "Stupid mother fucking piece of garbage."The 14 year old snarled under her breath as she slapped the reset button viciously. Bethany Micheals was well known for her..not so nice..temper. She had attacked more than one person online for no reason whatsoever. Just because she felt like knocking someone around.  
  
Today,though she hardly knew it,would be -very- different.   
  
She hadn't felt good the entire day,then again,when -did- she feel good? It seemed the young woman was always sick with something or other,and if not sick -with- it then sick of someone or something. She glared as her Yahoo! Chatroom still wouldn't come up. "WORK damn you!" She growled...and it did,oddly enough. She blinked a few times then grinned,"Thank you. Good computer." She quietly scanned the chatroom list and sighed. Still no Xander. Xander was her main character's lover,and he hadn't been around for 4 weeks. Bethany had just about had enough. "Well...screw him."She sighed and continued to scroll down the massive list. "Ilani doesn't need him,and neither do I." Ilani Graywind was her favorite,and main character. From the research she'd been doing,she'd found out he had been cheating on Ilani anyway. She'd find him and put a test in his path,if he failed it,Ilani and he were over.  
  
After a half hour in the room she started to get bored. She had Ilani walk outside and sit down..but she was soon joined by someone with the id of tsd0084. Ilani and the character she learned was Jake,were deep in conversation within the first few moments. Ilani,nor Bethany,had ever seen someone that felt so..right to talk to. Her mind felt at ease for the short time the two spoke through their chosen aliases. Little did she know that a young man named Anthony was on his end of the chatroom,smiling to himself and absently singing,"Floating...falling..sweet intoxication.." Mitchell looked at him as if he were nuts. He silently reminded himself that he -did- consider Anthony nuts,chuckled,and went back to his game. Bethany sighed and glared towards the computer clock. She had to go..she didn't want to. Something felt as if she needed to stay. Oddly,noone came to tell her to go,so she simply didn't. She continued talking to him until nearly midnight.   
  
"(Look..I have to go..)" She typed,frowning and sighing. Why did she feel dizzy suddenly? And so bloody giddy...it just wasn't like her. Anthony pouted,"(Alright..)" He typed slowly,feeling rather lightheaded,"(Will you be here tomorrow?)" Bethany nearly laughed outright,why wouldn't she be there? She always was. "(Of course. Bye.)"  
  
Bethany fell onto her bed and stared at her blank ceiling,not knowing Anthony was doing the same. Their bodies were even positioned alike. Bethany sighed and closed her eyes,what was she feeling? Wait,better question,why did she -care-? "Screw this.."She muttered under her breath and pressed her face into the pillow,sighing. "It's -rp-. I -really- must be losing it. Wait...stop there Bethy. You -know- you lost it." Anthony glared and closed his eyes silently,thinking quietly,'Why was I yanked to her like a magnet to metal? Mitchell said most people won't talk to beginners. Why was that Ilani girl talking then?' 'Oh forget it. This is too confusing for it to be so late,'They thought at the same time and rolled over on their beds,Anthony to the right,Bethany to the left. Suddenly they both sat bolt upright and stared into the darkness. Had they felt someone's arms around them?? 'No..that's impossible..'They muttered to themselves and collasped back into bed. Fate chuckled silently and watched them. Her plans were going perfectly so far. Only Bethany,Raymond,and Anthony could decide where they went now..hopefully Christine would have a brain this time!  
  
****  
  
6 short months later Fate was cursing as loud as she possibly could. Anthony had chased Bethany,opened her heart. He'd scared her as she'd seen what was truly inside her emotions...and the dumb bitch had run! "You sorry stupid little WENCH!" Fate screeched and banged her head against the nearest wall she could. "Gods above,don't tempt me to kill you! I'll rip you apart SO fast.." Fate sighed as Bethany curled up and cried herself to sleep. The young girl was so innocent....so nieve..she didn't know any better. She didn't even know what love was,did she? Fate sighed and stared off out a window. Maybe it was too soon for them..if Bethany met Raymond,which was placed to happen a little more than a year from now,hopefully the girl would know their bond wasn't the same as hers and Anthony's.  
  
Within another three months,much to Fate's relief,Anthony and Bethany were talking again. Anthony had a girlfriend,Bethany had a boyfriend. Fate was tempted to knock both love interests into the fiery pits of hell for Parry to deal with. 'No...NO.' She growled to herself and all but collasped into a chair. 'She'll have to find him for herself..I can't force her. She'll have him in the end of all this....but I'm making sure she has a hell of a time of it.' She stood back up and headed over to a tapestry containing 4 silvery threads and slowly twisted them into the one Bethany,Anthony,Mitchell and Raymond. They'd meet Bethany first....the girl needed support and advice. Maybe one of them would send her Anthony's way and she'd trust them. Everything was going to be by chance now for the next 6 years. If Bethany wasn't with Anthony by age 21...there'd be a problem. Time would run out...Fate's plan would be destroyed. Silently she swore if Bethany screwed up again she'd put her through so much suffering the stupid girl wouldn't be able to see straight!  
  
A/n: New chapter soon. *grins* Whatcha think of Fate now? Review please. 


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